University of Nebraska Administration - Featureshttp://nebraska.edu/media-resource-center/features.html
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 09:24:15 -0600Joomla! - Open Source Content Managementen-gbwebmaster@nebraska.edu (University of Nebraska Administration)NU online programs included among nation’s best for vetshttp://nebraska.edu/media-resource-center/features/1625-nu-online-programs-included-among-nation-s-best-for-vets.html
http://nebraska.edu/media-resource-center/features/1625-nu-online-programs-included-among-nation-s-best-for-vets.htmlSeveral University of Nebraska programs available through the University of Nebraska Online Worldwide website earned top rankings in the latest U.S. News & World Report list of the nation’s best online programs for veterans. The 2015 rankings, issued this spring, cover both bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at regionally accredited institutions and evaluate programs based on factors like financial aid for people with a military background, affordability, faculty credentials, student services and reputation. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Omaha and University of Nebraska at Kearney all are represented in the new U.S. News rankings.

UNO’s online bachelor’s degree programs also ranked among the top 10 percent. UNO is recognized by Military Times magazine as the nation’s top four-year institution for veterans.

UNK’s online graduate programs in education, previously unranked, came in at No. 20.

Mary Niemiec, director of University of Nebraska Online Worldwide and associate vice president of distance education, noted that distance learning is an especially important strategy for meeting the educational needs of veterans and active-duty service members who balance demanding schedules. Flexible, high-quality online programs provide military learners with valuable skills that will serve them in both their military service and as they transition to civilian work, Niemiec said.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, about 55,000 veterans in Nebraska – more than one-third of the state’s total veteran population – have either earned an associate’s degree or completed some college but not earned a degree. Niemiec said veterans provide an important supply line for meeting workforce needs in Nebraska, and continuing to ensure that military learners have access to affordable, high-quality education would advance a widely shared goal in Nebraska to increase educational attainment in order to meet economic demands of the future.

“Our nation’s veterans have made many sacrifices. Those seeking to fulfill their academic goals should have every resource they need to do so,” Niemiec said. “We are proud that so many of our programs have been recognized for what they do to provide resources that servicemen and women need to be successful. We remain committed to this effort.”

All four NU campuses participate fully in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides tuition and fee support for veterans attending public institutions. The campuses also have flexible deployment policies to ensure that students’ educational progress is not impacted by military deployment, and they offer specialized support services or advisors for veterans. For example, UNO’s deployment coordinator assists veterans before, during and after deployment. The campus also has a VA employee on-site to assist with veterans affairs benefits.

UNL maintains a mentoring program for military transfer students and awards one credit hour for every three months of active-duty service. UNL recently announced a new Student Veterans Resource Center to be in place this fall that will support student veterans’ transition to academic life and provide relevant services aimed at improving veterans’ integration and success on campus and retention and graduation rates. Services will include academic support, recruiting and admissions counseling, mentoring and orientation, career placement, and expanded opportunities for communication and networking.

The University of Nebraska’s four campuses offer more than 100 degree, certificate and endorsement programs in a wide range of fields. For more information on the online options and services available to military learners, visit http://online.nebraska.edu/mission.

For 24 hours this week, Nebraskans will have a unique opportunity to support the philanthropic causes of their choice in the Lincoln area – including an academic success program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Give to Lincoln Day is May 28 from midnight to midnight. The round-the-clock, online community giving event will bring donors together to support the important work of nonprofit organizations in Lincoln and throughout Lancaster County. Donors’ gifts go even further on Give to Lincoln Day, as participating organizations also receive a percentage-based share of a $300,000 matching challenge gift.

Give to Lincoln Day.

The numerous opportunities to give include the Nebraska Legends scholarship at UNL. Managed by the University of Nebraska Foundation, Nebraska Legends is one of the university’s most successful student recruitment and retention programs. It provides scholarship aid to high school students across the state and country while providing resources for UNL admissions recruiters. In addition, Nebraska Legends provides a support system for new students to help them have a successful start to their lifelong Husker experience. The program pairs students with a mentor to help them ease the transition to college, and provides opportunities for students to participate in social events throughout the year.

Other giving opportunities include the Lied Center for Performing Arts, the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, the Sheldon Museum of Art, and many more. Visit the UNL Newsroom for a complete list of UNL non-profits to support.

To donate to the Nebraska Legends scholarship program or other Lincoln causes, visit the Give to Lincoln Day site for more details. Give to Lincoln Day is coordinated by the Lincoln Community Foundation in partnership with local nonprofit organizations. In 2014, Give to Lincoln Day raised $2.7 million for local nonprofits, with more than 13,000 donations going to more than 300 organizations.

For 24 hours this week, Nebraskans will have a unique opportunity to support the philanthropic cause of their choice in Omaha – including programs based at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Omaha Gives! is May 20 from midnight to midnight. The round-the-clock, online community giving event allows donors to support the important work of organizations throughout the Omaha area and in Douglas, Sarpy and Pottawattamie counties. The numerous opportunities to give include two University of Nebraska programs:

Omaha Gives.

Maverick Food Pantry

UNO created the Maverick Food Pantry in 2013 to provide nutritionally balanced food packages to members of the UNO community in need. To date, the pantry has received more than 600 requests and distributed more than 7,800 pounds of food.

The mission of the Maverick Food Pantry is to contribute to UNO’s culture of caring by providing food to those in immediate need on campus and connecting them with resources in the greater Omaha area for long-term assistance. The pantry, located on campus, runs entirely on gifts of money and non-perishable food items.

UNMC SHARING

The SHARING clinics enhance the well-being of the Omaha community by providing high-quality, low-cost health care and human services to those in need. UNMC SHARING oversees four student-managed clinics in Omaha. The clinics are dedicated to primary health care, HIV and STD testing, primary care for Type 2 diabetes, and vision care.

Since 1997, SHARING clinics have provided medical care to more than 1,400 patients annually. The clinics provide care in multidisciplinary education settings that empower patients and instill the values of service and compassion in UNMC students. Every $1 donated to SHARING results in roughly $8 of medical services to underprivileged populations in Omaha.

To donate to these or other Omaha-area causes, visit http://omahagives24.org/ on May 20. Omaha Gives! is organized by the Omaha Community Foundation to grow philanthropy in Douglas, Sarpy and Pottawattamie counties. The minimum donation for the event is $10 and there is no maximum.

The University of Nebraska congratulates the 6,500-plus students who earned degrees or certificates over the past week – the next generation of NU alumni who will go on to become health care workers, business leaders, scientists, teachers, farmers and ranchers, artists and many other talented workers.

President Hank Bounds, participating in his first commencement activities since beginning his tenure in April, attended ceremonies on all four campuses as well as the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. Among the milestones for this year’s commencements: NCTA awarded its first certificates in its new irrigation technician program, which trains employees for the mechanized irrigation industry. And UNL, with more than 3,000 degrees awarded, set a new graduation record for May.

Bounds thanked students for choosing the University of Nebraska, and recognized family members, friends, faculty and staff, and other mentors whose guidance helped the graduates succeed.

President Hank Bounds delivers remarks at the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s spring 2015 commencement ceremony.

In remarks to the graduates, Bounds recalled his own upbringing in rural Mississippi, noting he never dreamed he would have the opportunity to even to go college, much less become president of a leading university. A college degree, he said, will change students’ lives in the same way it changed his, opening doors he never would have thought possible.

“I hope you have learned to dream big,” Bounds told the graduates. “This is the opportunity that a University of Nebraska education provides you – the opportunity to dream big.”

He extended his best wishes to the students, whatever their next steps may be – starting a job, working on a family farm, continuing their education, traveling or something else.

Graduate programs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Nebraska at Omaha are well-represented in U.S. News & World Report’s new rankings of the nation’s best graduate schools.

Multiple UNMC jumped higher on the list. UNMC’s primary care program climbed two slots to No. 4, while the physician assistant program now ranks No. 9 in the country. Overall, UNMC ranks 39th in public health and 60th in research.

"It is exciting to see both the primary care and physician assistant program counted among the best in the nation and to see continued growth in the national recognition of our College of Public Health and our research program,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. “This is truly the result of clear focus and hard work."

Ali S. Khan, M.D., M.P.H., dean of the UNMC College of Public Health, said these rankings are especially exceptional when considering the public health college only became operational in 2007, making it one of UNMC’s newest colleges.

“We are excited that our young college is already listed among the country’s outstanding programs,” Khan said. “This is a sign that what we are doing here in Nebraska is being noticed on a national scale.”

Although new rankings for 2015 weren't available in all health care categories, UNMC continues to be ranked in three other programs:

No. 32 in pharmacy programs.

No. 34 in physical therapy programs.

No. 93 in biological sciences.

Graduate programs at UNL also were ranked well by U.S. News. The College of Education and Human Sciences’ graduate program moved up eight spots, landing at No. 40. Marjorie Kostelnik, the college’s dean, said the spike in rankings showcases the college’s success in preparing students to make a difference in the lives of individuals, families, schools and communities.

“The College of Education and Human Sciences continues to focus on providing our students with excellent teaching, relevant experiences and value,” Kostelnik said. “To climb in these rankings provides us with another form of verification that we are succeeding in meeting our students’ needs.”

The College of Law ranked No. 56 among 198 schools, rising more than 30 sports in the last three years. Rankings were based on assessments such as peer assessment, assessment by lawyers and judges, students’ grade-point averages, entrance exam scores, acceptance rates, graduate employment rates, and the rate of graduates who pass the bar.

UNL’s engineering program ranked No. 90 of 195 schools with the biological/agricultural engineering program ranking No. 9, based on a survey of department heads. The College of Business Administration’s part-time MBA program ranked No. 64 of 135. The Financial Times listed UNL’s online MBA program as No. 10 in the in its latest ranking.

As a new academic semester gets underway, we have exciting news to share. The Board of Regents this afternoon voted to appoint Hank M. Bounds, Ph.D., as the seventh president of the University of Nebraska. He begins his tenure on April 13, 2015.

Dr. Bounds is a highly respected and lifelong educator who since 2009 has served as Commissioner of Higher Education for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, a public university system whose institutions enroll 85,000 students and employ 26,000 faculty and staff. Previously, he was state superintendent of education in Mississippi. Dr. Bounds began his career as a high school teacher and, in the 25 years since, has built an impressive record of expanding opportunities for students, improving outcomes and efficiencies in higher education, and building partnerships focused on the link between education and economic growth. We believe that record positions Dr. Bounds exceptionally well to lead the University of Nebraska at a time of tremendous momentum.

Hank grew up on a family farm in rural Mississippi and is a first-generation traditional college student whose service in the Army National Guard afforded him the opportunity to earn his degree. He has dedicated his career to helping change students’ lives in the same way education impacted his own life. As an educator and administrator, he has earned a reputation as an honest and transparent leader, a hard worker and a quick study. He is capable of being diplomatic or tough-minded depending on the circumstance, skilled at building collaboration and collegiality among those with competing interests.

He has an inspiring vision of the University of Nebraska’s world-class potential and ability to have a meaningful impact across the globe, particularly through the work of the multi-campus institutes which are focused on solving crucial challenges that span national borders. He also understands the importance of the university to Nebraska and appreciates its unique role as a catalyst of regional economic development and as a major contributor to the cultural, social, health and educational fabric of the state. And he has a strong commitment to increasing access, improving educational attainment and maintaining the affordability of a university education.

Dr. Bounds was selected from among four public finalists following a national search that was ably assisted by two search committees whose members represented key university constituencies including faculty, staff and students. On behalf of the Board of Regents, we thank those who gave their time and energies to service on the committees. And we thank all who participated in the presidential search process by offering input on the qualities the Board should seek in the next president or by attending forums during the finalists’ campus visits and sharing your feedback with us. We are pleased with the results and look forward to Dr. Bounds’ leadership of this great institution.

We hope you will join the Board of Regents in welcoming Hank and his wife, Susie, and their children, Will and Caroline, to the University of Nebraska.

University of Nebraska students are continuing to compete successfully for prestigious scholarships that support study abroad and other international engagement opportunities.

Eight NU students have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships and 19 have received Gilman Scholarships for this summer and the coming year, including 12 Gilman winners at UNL whose awards were recently announced. Both the Gilman and Fulbright programs are supported by the U.S. Department of State and are highly prestigious and competitive. NU’s academically diverse winners, representing the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Nebraska at Omaha, will participate in teaching, research and other scholarly activities in a total of 20 countries, including South Korea, India, Turkey, Indonesia, Russia and Ethiopia.

Josh Davis, assistant vice president for global strategy and international initiatives, said the University of Nebraska places a high priority on providing students a global perspective and as a result, NU students have been consistently successful on a global platform. The university’s global agenda is driven by goals to develop mutually beneficial partnerships with institutions around the world, encourage faculty collaborations in critical areas like water and food security and early childhood education, and foster rich opportunities for exchanges that position students for success in today’s global economy.

For example, in 2013, the Office of the President funded four NU students to study at Ataturk University in Erzurum, Turkey, as part of an effort to reinvigorate a relationship that was established between NU and Ataturk more than 50 years ago. Sixteen NU students have studied at Ataturk University this summer.

Shelby Andersen-Holt, a UNO international studies major, was a faculty-nominated student participant on the 2013 trip – and the experience left a lasting impression.

“The value of really seeing and experiencing another country cannot be overstated,” Andersen-Holt said. “The lines between respect and cultural appropriation, social norm and religious rite are much more elegant and human than textbooks are able to articulate. Study abroad experiences help to raise new questions and garner a more astute consciousness in Nebraska students.”

Andersen-Holt will return to Turkey in August thanks to a Fulbright Scholarship. While there, she will teach English full-time, serving as a cultural ambassador, helping to enhance the mutual understanding between Americans and Turkish citizens. Andersen-Holt credits her previous visit to Ataturk University and guidance of NU leadership and faculty as the inspiration to apply for the scholarship program.

“I remember every day how blessed I am to have gone to a university that values study abroad experiences enough to develop the program in which I participated last summer,” she said. “I think it’s important to thank and encourage professors, administrators and donors who make these things happen, because their selfless efforts set students up for success.”

Davis said the university orchestrates short-term study opportunities like the one to Ataturk University to encourage students to make connections and inspire them to pursue more in-depth opportunities to study abroad. In recent years the university has created new study abroad opportunities in Brazil, India and other countries that serve as strategic partners for Nebraska.

Davis credited Tom Farrell, former NU vice provost for global engagement, for helping to draw more attention to prestigious national scholarship programs. Farrell, who significantly advanced the university’s global agenda through collaborative efforts with the four NU campuses, federal and state government institutions, and international agencies, is now senior adviser to the chancellor for international affairs at UNL.

The Fulbright Scholarship is designed to give students the opportunity to conduct research, study or teach internationally. It was established in 1946 with a mission of developing mutual understanding between the United States and other countries.

The Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants to undergraduate students of limited financial means to participate in study abroad experiences in non-traditional destinations. It is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and was established in 2000.

In addition to Andersen-Holt, NU award winners for this summer and coming academic year are:

For 24 hours this week, Nebraskans will have a unique opportunity to support the philanthropic causes of their choice in the Lincoln area – including an academic success program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Give to Lincoln Day is May 29 from midnight to midnight. The round-the-clock, online community giving event will bring donors together to support the important work of nonprofit organizations in Lincoln and throughout Lancaster County. Donors’ gifts go even further on Give to Lincoln Day, as participating organizations also receive a percentage-based share of a $300,000 matching challenge gift.

The numerous opportunities to give include the Nebraska Legends scholarship at UNL. Sponsored by the Nebraska Alumni Association, Nebraska Legends is one of the university’s most successful student recruitment and retention programs. It provides scholarship aid to high school students across the state and country while providing resources for UNL admissions recruiters. In addition, Nebraska Legends provides a support system for new students to help them have a successful start to their lifelong Husker experience. The program pairs students with a mentor to help them ease the transition to college, and provides opportunities for students to participate in social events throughout the year.

To donate to the Nebraska Legends scholarship program or other Lincoln causes, visit http://givetolincoln.razoo.com/giving_events/g2l14/home. Give to Lincoln Day is coordinated by the Lincoln Community Foundation in partnership with local nonprofit organizations. In 2013, Give to Lincoln Day raised $2.1 million for local nonprofits, with more than 6,600 individuals donating to more than 250 organizations.